Analysis of data from direct observations of 12 special education teachers found that, compared to simply providing children with opportunities to play, consistent implementation of specific teaching, planning, and monitoring procedures to promote social interaction resulted in greater increases in children's interactions during free play.…

The General Education Collaboration Model is designed to support general educators teaching mainstreamed disabled students, through collaboration with special educators. The model is based on flexible departmentalization, program ownership, identification and development of supportive attitudes, student assessment as a measure of program…

Fifty early childhood special educators and 82 school psychologists responded to questionnaires analyzing the school psychologist's role and potential contributions to early childhood programs. While psychologists viewed their primary responsibility as conducting psychological assessments, educators' greatest expressed need was for assistance with…

Guidelines for helping special educators contribute to transition planning for students with disabilities include understanding the legislative mandate, identifying relevant persons and resources at the school district level, investigating alternative approaches to transition planning, promoting family participation, using various assessment…

Analysis of completed surveys from 230 teachers of blind and visually impaired learners found that preservice training programs emphasizing the methodology of teaching Braille and the development of tactual perception tended to produce teachers who have positive attitudes toward Braille and feel competent in teaching Braille to children. (DB)

The president of the Council for Exceptional Children urges the organization as a whole and its members individually to face the new school year with a commitment to three R's: a Reflection on the shared past, a Renewal of commitment to excellence, and a Reach for the future and its opportunities. (DB)

This study of 82 general educators with certification in special education found that over half would consider special education positions. Primary deterrents to special education teaching included paperwork and factors related to working with special populations; potential incentives included adequate teaching resources, minimal nonteaching…

This article describes children having emotional/behavioral disorders, presents data demonstrating the critical shortage of teachers for this population, discusses factors that contribute to this problem, and offers recommendations including giving teachers of these children an additional salary stipend and providing them the option of…

This article reviews what teachers can do to prevent aggressive behavior in students with emotional and behavioral disorders. It considers the dynamics of aggression, the role of the therapeutic teacher, creation of the positive classroom climate, functional assessment, and teaching alternative behaviors. (DB)

The introduction to this special issue introduces each of the following 11 research-based articles, all originally presented in November 1999 at the 23rd annual conference of the Teacher Educators for Children with Behavioral Disorders. The articles cover a variety of research and practice issues relative to the education and treatment of children…

This bulletin deals with the critical shortage of qualified professionals in special education and related services which seriously hinders the nation's ability to serve the growing number of children and youth with disabilities, birth to age 21. For every 10.5 special education teachers now employed in the nation, school systems report needing…

The purpose of this guide is to assist chapters of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and other groups of special educators to plan, design, and implement community activities that increase awareness of high school students about career possibilities within special education and provide information about how to pursue a career in the…

The challenge of providing appropriate education to learning-disabled students in the least restrictive environment led to creation of the Content Mastery Program. The program enables learning-disabled students to receive all major instruction in mainstream classrooms, through the cooperative effort of the classroom teacher and the special…

This report evaluates a project for secondary school education teachers in northeastern Texas. The objectives of the project were to: (1) train the secondary and middle school teachers of special education to use the Science Activities for the Visually Impaired/Science Enrichment for Learners with Physical Handicaps (SAVI/SELPH) curriculum; (2)…

This paper attempts to identify critical variables for designing training programs in early childhood special education. A literature review is presented on training and the adult learner. Important characteristics of training are identified, such as the course design, sequence, content, and adult learning strategies used. Other significant…